U.S. now has more coronavirus cases than China as death toll rise to 1,173 and 81,864 cases

The U.S. overtook China as the country with the most confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, now tallying 81,864 cases to China’s 81,285. That’s out of 523,163 cases worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University count.

The U.S.’s actual number of cases is likely even higher, but nationwide difficulties in accessing tests make it nearly impossible to achieve an accurate count. Still, the numbers underscore how the pandemic’s epicenter has shifted west over the past several weeks, with major outbreaks on both American coasts. As of Thursday, 1,173 Americans have died from coronavirus.